End of an Era - Farewell to Fairhope

Fairhope, AL is currently my favorite sunset spot in the continental United States. I'm grateful for tonight's sunset because it appears it will be the last that I see for some time due to an unexpected transition associated with my "day job" that will likely have far less travel to Alabama.

This evening, Fairhope proved that she'd saved the best for last. Spectacular.

Fishing Partner at Sunset - Fairhope, AL

Getting this close to a Great Blue Heron proved to be a unique experience for me this far. This guy seemed intent on stalking the dock and waiting on handouts from the fisherman at the end of the pier. He was fearless around humans, and that characteristic is pretty rare in these normally skittish predators. Bearing witness to this type of magnificent stateliness gives me hope that the direction of the universal momentum propels me along the path that's meant for me.

The sun settled, and although the sky started cloudy and dark earlier in the evening, the final coda was one of the best that I've ever seen.

End of an Era - Fairhope, AL

I'm going to miss Fairhope. It is difficult to imagine that the gift of presence in this magical area can be easily replaced, but I remain optimistic. The spectacular nature of my final evening hear fills me with the warmth of confidence that the universe knows what I need and is pulling me inexorably down the path it has chosen for me to follow.

I'm even less sure what tomorrow will hold, but the signs keep pointing toward a future filled with adventure and wonder. For that, I'm profoundly grateful.

Self-Reflections

I've been granted the opportunity recently to take some time for self-reflection. It's been a truly enriching experience. My walking has ramped up to near pre-broken foot levels, I'm trying out some new photography techniques, and I've met a number of really interesting and loving people over the last six weeks.

I-565 Sentinel, Huntsville, AL (f/20, 13.00s, 39.00mm, ISO 100)

As an example, before yesterday, I've personally witnessed only two occasions of raw courage wrapped in selfless sacrifice with a dose of truth in order to help someone else. Yesterday, I saw the third example of just that behavior and it was stunning. That kind of thing re-opens the mind to the reality that love is more powerful than fear, and in spite of the risks, it's worth it.

I'm grateful for this period of self-reflection, and I'm looking forward to the attempt at bringing it back to the grind of the workaday world. Tomorrow will bring what it does, and I'm looking forward to the unfolding.

Rory's Back in Town

I'm happy to report that Rory Conlan is still breathing and walking. Although he hasn't (yet) followed up on his promise of more to follow on these pages, we did lash up this weekend for a series of long training walks in Huntsville, AL.

Monte Sano State Park Overlook - Huntsville, AL

I'm happy to report that the weather's been spectacular, and we've gotten in some credible distance over the last couple of days.

Alligator Gar - Aldridge Creek - Huntsville, AL

We even saw quite a few fish today including several good size large mouth bass, two alligator gar, and some sunfish/bream.

It's been quite enjoyable to get out on the trail with Rory, but we both have some work to do conditioning wise in the lead up to the N2N-TCP.

I'm not sure what tomorrow may hold, but I know it's time to get back to work.  Eleven months to go until stepping out.

Meeting New People

Starting in August 2016, I added introducing myself to someone new on a daily (well, almost) practice. Since I started that practice, I've introduced myself to one hundred ninety four folks. Initially, I felt pretty awkward carrying out this discipline. I've never been real shy, but there was always that tickling sensation in the back of my mind that said someone might reject the advances (as innocuous as an offered handshake often) from a total stranger.

It turns out that only one of those one hundred and ninety four folks ever refused to give me a name. I had a few handshake dodgers, and it's possible, nea likely, that a few of the names that I got were not entirely aligned with the truth. All in all though, this exercise has restored a bit of faith in my fellow man, and I'm pretty sure I've made a friend or two along the way.

Today wasn't any different. Walking along the shoreline at Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River in Huntsville, AL, I came across two fishermen.  Actually, it was one fisherman and one fisherwonan. The man looked at me a bit skeptically and then asked me, "What's up?" Before panic could grip my tongue, I quickly responded with the truth. I was down taking pictures of the sunset, and I introduced myself and offered the traditional handshake.

George responded well, and introduced himself. We talked briefly about the finer points of bass fishing on the Tennessee River, and after a moment or two he asked me if I'd mind taking a picture of him and his fishing partner who I presume to be his wife.

Catchin' the Last Rays & (Hopefully) a Few Fish - Ditto Landing - Huntsville, AL

I've been practicing my photography for just such and occasion, so I took a few shots and texted them over to him. He was a good chap, and I hope he got what he wanted from the photography. I like the result, but more importantly, I made a new connection.

When it comes down to it, we're all quite a bit more alike than we are different. We all have the same time in the moment. Most of us enjoy the company of others, though sometimes in small doses. Quite a few of us a drawn to the water (or the mountains), and I haven't met anyone yet who didn't somehow appreciate the glory of a colorful sunrise or sunset.

Today was a good day for the practice, and though I don't know what tomorrow will bring, I'm looking forward to finding out.

Rock Legends Pointing Toward a Better Future

Today, my ambling ways took me to the Rocket and Space Center here in Huntsville, AL to catch the sunset. As far as sunsets go, it was not the most spectacular set of colors that I've ever witnessed, but as I was seeing the nuclear fire settle in behind the horizon with the Rocket Center in the foreground my thoughts were drawn to the sad loss of Rock 'n Roll legend Chuck Berry earlier this weekend.

Chuck Berry was a real innovator, and he seems to have come from an era of innovators. Their accomplishments have become part of our culture, and sadly, the innovators and explorers of that era seem to be inevitably passing away. Their accomplishments have been turned into monuments.

Space and Rocket Center - Huntsville, AL

Johnny B. Goode was written in 1958 and recorded in 1959.  Eighteen years later, at the height of NASA's push toward the stars, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were sent forth on the first interstellar exploration mission with a gold plated copper record that among other cultural icons of humanity had this most excellent example of Rock 'n Roll recorded on its surface.

The hope and optimism shown by those giants of innovation and exploration have laid out the challenge that its time we live up to in the early part of the 21st century.

Saturn I Rocket - Space and Rocket Center - Huntsville, AL

As the sun begins to set on those great accomplishments from almost half a century ago, the time has come for humanity to once again slip the surly bonds of Low Earth Orbit and recapture the thrill, hope, and audacity that drove earlier explorers to land mankind on the moon.

The cure for the current state of fear that seems to have become so interwoven with day to day life is to stretch our legs and minds and set out on a great adventure to the stars. The Moon waits, full of water at the poles for fuel, and Mars beckons.  I hope to live to see the day where we once again grasp our cultural, scientific, and engineering inheritance from the innovators and greats that have shown us the way to a better future for humanity. It's time to go back.  It's been far to long.

I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I know that opportunity abounds. I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the gifts we've been given.

Pushing Through

I've been living under the belly of the whale for a little less than a week now.  I'm not really sure why, but I think it might be due to tiredness. At any rate, there's nothing really for it but to push through, so that's what I've been up to the last several days.

It's Not Always Blue Skies and Sunsets, but if You Keep Putting One Foot In Front of the Other, the Storm will
Eventually Break - Walk On - Huntsville, AL

It's not been all gloom and despair.  Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Little River Canyon Preserve near Fort Payne, AL.  In addition to getting a mild case of food poisoning (I'm pretty sure) and practicing sleeping in a tent during a sleet/rain storm, I did manage to capture some nice vistas that nature put at my disposal.

Grace High Falls - Little River Canyon, AL

I've begun to experiment a little with a Digital SLR coupled with a tripod and telephoto lens. The animation above is the result of some of those photos, and I have to say that I really like it as a first attempt.  More to follow on that stage of my photographic skill set because I have A LOT to learn, but I'm looking forward to it.

Little River Falls - Little River Canyon, AL

The main falls in the canyon was also spectacular. I found that I had to pinch myself to make sure this was only about an hour an twenty minute drive from where I'm staying while I'm on my sojourn down south. Stunning and accessible. That's a powerful combination, and I may have to schedule a return trip (without the food poisoning, thank you).

At any rate, I'm feeling better now, and though I don't know what will happen tomorrow I'm looking forward to the adventure of the journey.  Till then....

Uncertainty in Pursuit of Purpose

One of the reasons I'm pursuing the Newport to Newport Transcontinental Pilgrimage is to connect with people to show them what's within the art of the possible.  One path toward that purpose is to document the things that I see along the trail, and today I went out and hiked the Certain Trail in the Blevins Gap Preservation area near Huntsville, AL to practice the skills associated with that goal.

From the Mountaintop, Looking Into the Valley of the Mother of the Tides
Blevins Gap Preserve - Huntsville, AL

I'm not sure I succeeded in capturing the feel of the trail I was walking, but it was gorgeous.  Walking the trail with valleys to the right and the left with the sun setting in the west and the moon rising in the east. Spectacular.

More work to be done on the documentation aspect I suppose, but practice makes progress. I may not have hit it out of the park this time with the photography this time, but I don't regret looking out over the edge of the mountain.

Looking Out over the Edge

Tomorrow the plan is to head east to Fort Payne, AL and visit Little River Canyon. The weather forecast is a bit sketchy so I'm not sure how it will turn out, but I'm looking forward to the experience whatever may come.

Walking Out to the Edge

New Perspectives Await When Your Walk Up to the Edge - Rainbow Mountain - Madison, AL

A relatively new friend of mine has taken action and embarked on a life of adventure that is both heartening and inspiring. She tells her story much better than I could ever hope to convey it, so I recommend you go see for yourself the way she's taking people to where they don't or can't go and giving them the courage, through her example, on how to step out and seek their own adventure.

She's stepping out on the edge, and though many of her friends and family worry for her, she's found new perspectives on the world by taking calculated and reasonable risks.

Today, I stumbled upon the opportunity to step out on the edge while tramping around Rainbow Mountain in Madison, AL. The drop was not very far...twenty feet or so, but the view from the top of the ridge brought its own new perspective into my consciousness.

I am grateful to my friend for breaking the trail and leading by example on this journey of life. While I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow, I know that I'll be looking for edges to walk up and pear over thanks to the support of my friend and the experience I've had taking reasonable risks in the pursuit of new vistas.

Branching Out from Huntsville

I've been in Huntsville, AL for a little over a week, and like all my travel, I'm really enjoying the experience.

Retention Pond Sunset - Huntsville, AL

Thankfully, the sun sets and rises here in about the same way it does everywhere else I've been, and I've been able to find a vista or two. I do need some more time to explore, but in a matter of days, I've found some "old standby" haunts when time is short and the need for some beauty is high.

I'm not letting the moss grow on my this rolling stone, and tomorrow I head out to Georgia to attend the Second Annual (2017) Georgia Tiny House Festival in Eatonton, GA.

I'm planning on hammock camping which will be a first for me, and I'm really looking forward to the adventure. We'll see how it all shakes out, but I'm hoping to have some tall tales and photos worth sharing before it's all said and done.  Until then...

Pummelwagon - USS Alabama

Just when you think you've missed the sunset, if you're lucky mother nature will throw you a curveball...the good kind that gives you a chance to make solid contact and maybe get in a couple of extra bases.

Pummelwagon - USS Alabama - Mobile, AL

Walking has taught me that beauty appears when you're least likely to suspect its presence. This scene crept up on me, but I was fortunate enough to catch a hint of it out of the corner of my eye.

I don't know where beauty will appear tomorrow, but I know that it will. I only have to be observant enough to touch the moment when it rolls around.

Evening Colors

Beautiful sunset this evening.

Evening Colors - USS Alabama - Mobile, AL

In the cloudless sky this evening, I didn't think any sunset pictures would be any good. I'm pleased to say I still haven't developed any real skill as a fortune teller. Tomorrow will certainly bring another adventure or two, and I'm looking forward to uncovering them.

Quadcopter Sunset

After a bit of travel, I headed out to put in some miles at one of my favorite sunset locations. Distance was not the goal since the weather was spectacular and every now and then one should take some time to enjoy previous rounds of location recon.

I was a little nervous that I'd headed out a bit late, and quite frankly given the lack of broken cloud cover on the horizon, I launched out with a bit of skepticism that the photographic exploits of the evening would amount to much.

Boy was I wrong (which just goes to show you that I'm not much of a fortune teller.  I got down to the beach in Fairhope, AL just in time to prop my feet up on a stormwater outfall and soak in the glorious ending of the day.

Kicked Back - Feet Up - Fairhope, AL

I mean, seriously? I'm getting paid for this? I'm pretty sure I'd do this for free, and to top it all off, I was surrounded by fellow sunchasers.

Fellow Sunchasers (and dog) #2 - Fairhope, AL

Every time I come down to this place, I feel like I get a little bit closer to the Divine. I'm not a great fan of churchiness, but it's hard not to be awed by a power greater than yourself when you see it displayed in all of its glory.

While I was soaking in my good fortune, I noticed that someone was doing the same with the assistance of some augmentation from technology.

Quadcopter at Sunset - Fairhope, AL

Not knowing whether I was under surveillance or not, I decided to go with the civil response and waved a shaka in the general general direction of my robotic overseer. This little guy buzzed around a little, and given the running lights, seems to be facing the sun rather than facing the pilgrim.

On my way back to the car, I ran across the Quadcopter operator who happened to be a photographer as well.  Chris and I talked about Maryland, Alabama, the Navy, Coca Cola, and photography for a thoroughly enjoyable twenty or thirty minutes.  I met his service dog and one of his longtime friends, Cora as well.

Today was another great day for the record books. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I'll tell you this...I'm going to keep hitting the trail because it just keeps getting better the more I'm out there walking the path of the pilgrim.

Long Day Wrapped Up

Today was a pretty long day, but it ended in the same place that yesterday ended.

End of Day - Mobile, AL

It was a little earlier, a little more colorful, and compared to yesterday it was similar. That's life. Similar but never the same. Every moment is an act of creation, and realizing that through the last year of daily practice is one of the most mind opening experiences I've ever encountered.

I hope it doesn't take you six thousand miles out on the trail to come to this realization, but if that's what it takes it's worth it. 

Till tomorrow and the next fourteen hundred and forty minutes of creativity.

Never Underestimate the Power of Resilience

I'm just wrapping up a pretty long but productive day, and my current bill paying job managed to stretch itself to thirteen hours.  When I first got out of school and entered the workforce, I'm pretty sure I would not have considered a thirteen hour day on a weekend a stunning example of successful living.

Productive Day Finale - Mobile, AL

I've been seasoned by life a bit since then, and part of that seasoning involves recognizing the value of tenacity, resilience, and good old fashioned grit when it comes to being successful.  Thirteen hour days on the weekend are success in the making sometimes, and being able to appreciate those moments for what they are and what they represent will make up for all manner of talent, smarts, and ability advantages of other folks who just aren't willing to grind quite as hard as you might be willing to grind.

Hard, disciplined work is not a great equalizer. It's a great advantage. Hard work is success going through the crucible, and it's facilitated by appreciating and enjoying what you do.

Sometimes, at the end of the grind, the universe will send you a sign that it's all been worth the sweat and focus that you've put toward the task.

I'm not sure what's going to be revealed by the new day tomorrow, but I know it's gonna start early and I'm ready for the grind.

Thirty Days of Letters

Today marked thirty days of letters left out in public for others to find.  To date, I haven't received a reply to a single one of them, but I'm hopeful.

Day 30 Letter Drop - Bass Pro Shop Fish Tank Display - Spanish Fort, AL

I'm not sure what I expected when I started writing these letters. I do know that I'm still hoping to make a connection with someone that finds the content compelling enough to respond.

The exercise has proven to be a practice in consistency.  I'd like to think the writing in them is getting a little clearer and more heartfelt. I do know that from time to time, just getting the writing done and the letter delivered has been a challenge. 

I'm not sure where this is all leading, but I continue to be drawn to the practice, and I'll keep it up until the calling fades to the background.

Passion for the Trail

When I took my first walk to try to convince myself that the dream that has come to me about walking across the country, I walked seventeen miles without training. I had the wrong shoes.  I had the wrong socks. I didn't drink enough water. I didn't eat enough calories.  I had a blister at six miles. I kept going, and that was probably pretty foolish.  This was the result. I was down for two weeks.  I ended the walk with pictures of hamburger feet.  The idea of the walk persisted, and thankfully so did I.

Over the last two years, my life has been transformed by the trail. I see the world differently. My mind is less cluttered. I look to the sky, and I'm shown the glory of the universe on a daily basis.

Airborne - Charlotte, NC to Pensacola, FL

The first six miles of that first practice walk was filled with both boredom and anxiety. My mind was chattering to itself. I had not moved that slowly without entertainment for a very long time. The trees looked the same. The sky looked the same. The trail looked the same. It's because I had forgotten how to see. I'd become undisciplined in my thinking. I'd become addicted to the easy cotton candy entertainment of the television. I could no longer see what was right in front of my face.

 

Airborne #2 - Charlotte, NC to Pensacola, FL

I no longer bury my head in a book or a screen trying to hide from the people and the experiences around me. I can look out the airline window for an hour waiting because I know that the great moment is coming. The clouds will clear dn the blue sky will manifest. The river will shine in the sun, and if I'm not paying attention.  If my brain demands constant entertainment, I'll miss it, and the moment will be lost forever. I learned this patience on the trail trying to drive an crazy escape fantasy out of my head.

Fellow Travellers - Fairhope, AL

It took some time, but I learned to chase the sun. I learned to put myself outside during the golden hour and then wait. I learned to see again, and I'm hooked. Walking is not boring. It's one of the most passion filled aspects of my life.

Laid Back - Feet Up - Fairhope, AL

I had a couple of more miles to walk after this photo was taken, but one foot in front of another had taken me to this time and place, and it was worth a moment to soak it all in. I have no idea what the bottom of my feet look like today, but I guarantee they don't look like they did at the end of that first practice walk.

I continue to be amazed at what the universe brings across my path, and everyday my love...my passion...my calling for the walk grows a little stronger. My life is getting fuller, and I hope that one day this journey might help someone else. I have peace and contentment in abundance, and if you want some of mine you're welcome to it. I'd love to have you join me in this journey, and I'm looking forward to what tomorrow will reveal.

Rafting Life's River

Today was spectacular. Rory Conlan and I spent about an hour while we walked, and I managed to pull myself out the calling of walking to make it to my day job.  On the way, I experienced the morning of four suns.

Four Sun Morning - US 98 Causeway - Daphne, AL

We live in extraordinary times. Metal coated flat glass mirrors were not produced until early in the Renaissance in Venice. Due to the difficulty of making plate glass of uniform thickness, they were a very expensive luxury item. There are legends of the Countess de Fiesque purchasing a mirror for the price of a wheat farm she sold to finance the transaction. Today, we have mirrors everywhere. I didn't really notice this till I got out on the trail and started moving a little slower. Now I see them, and what they reflect, everywhere.

Later in the afternoon, I made my way back to Fairhope, AL for another round of trail work, and the day was then bookended with the glory of the universe.

Fellow Travellers - Fairhope, AL

Because of the cloud coverage, I was a little concerned the sunset would be a little dull. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Fishing - Fairhope, AL

People aren't something I normally photograph, but today, down on the end of that pier in Fairhope, the opportunities were just too beautiful to let pass.

Family Sunset - Fairhope, AL

I stood in awe as a raging river of life flowed by as the sun dipped below the horizon. Sometimes...oftentimes it's like that during my pilgrimage training. I raft down the river of life, and the universe brings me just the right things to achieve peace and serenity. I feel like I've discovered an endless river of wealth, and it costs hardly a thing to experience the flow in all it's grandeur. I am blessed, and although I don't know what will happen tomorrow, I have faith that the river of life will deliver just what I need.

Holding Pattern

Occasionally, I find that my life gets into a holding pattern.  I'm doing the daily practice.  I might even be hitting some elements of the practice better than I have at other times during the journey. For whatever reason, during these time, it feels like my progress has stalled.

I haven't been able to correlate these episodes to anything in particular, and I've come to assume that they are really just a normal part of existence. I like to think of them as time when the universe is just consolidating. If I'm fortunate, and I often am, I still find the beauty that I'm seeking in the daily rising and setting of the sun.

Night Shatters - Spanish Fort, AL

When I get into one of these spots, I find it best just to relax a little.  Great experiences sometimes take a little time to put together, and the world is an infinitely complex place. Forcing the issue or trying to get ahead of the way things are meant to be often just leads to frustration. Better to keep pressing on with doing the next right thing and enjoying the ride.

Sol Beats a Retreat - Mobile, AL

I'm a little impatient, but I've seen this movie before. I don't know if the dam will break and things will start happening tomorrow, but I know if I'm lucky the answer will be revealed.  Until then, keep walking.

The Call of the Road

I find myself back on the road again, and though travel takes me away from those things I hold most dear, it does give me the opportunity to get unfettered internet access.  I also find that travel affords the opportunity for adventure, a chance to meet new people, and, almost without exception,  a time to see the world from a slightly different angle.

Travel is a time to reset...a recreation, as it were, even if the time on the road is largely dictated by the constraints of the day job.

I like it.  I like it a lot.

Parking Lot Sunrise - Baltimore Washington International Airport

Today started off early with a trip to the airport. As I was waiting on the shuttle from the long term parking lot, the sun peeked up over the horizon and, as seen through the chain link fence, offered a pretty striking vista to start the day.  

I got in the aluminum tube, and a little less than twelve hours later, I was blessed with experiencing the sunset in Fairhope, Alabama during my evening training walk for the N2N-TCP.  

Heron at Sunset - Fairhope, AL

There were moments of terminal terror as I hustled to make a connection and a day job email or two in between, but the bookmarks on each end of the day seemed to make it all worthwhile.

Fairhope's On Fire

As I told Rory (Conlan) during the walk, "We really should be doing this sort of thing full time."

Soon.  Very soon.

I'm not sure what tomorrow holds, but I sure hope it's more of the same sorts of experience.  I'm optimistic.

Moving Toward the Pilgrimage Three Hours at a Time

Today, I had three hours of relatively unstructured time and I'm ending it feeling more convinced than ever that the N2N-TCP is calling. Three hours isn't really enough time to escape the urban area I'm in, and the options for doing something seem relatively limited.

One thing that's available in spades is the opportunity to pay homage at the temples of materialism. They're ubiquitous, but with minimalism on the mind they don't have the draw for me that they once held in the past. Going to the mall to look at things I don't need feels like a big waste of time. I'd rather be out alone on the trail, encountering vistas like this one.

Day's End - Fairhope, AL

On the surface, watching the sunset isn't any more or less valuable than walking the mall, but for some reason it feels closer to whatever it is that I'm seeking in the journey.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, but it's clear that I have to focus my efforts on making the Transcontinental Pilgrimage a priority.